Occupational Hazards
by Indigo Tantarian
Summary: When Dana announced that she wanted to apply to intern at Night Vale Community Radio, her family cried. Cecil tried to convince her to leave. But she stayed, and she didn't regret it for even a second.


**Occupational Hazards**

When Dana first expressed her interest in interning at the radio station, her mother had cried. Her little brother didn't understand, and was frightened.

But Dana had pursued her dream, and had managed to land an internship at the Night Vale Community Radio Station. It was unpaid, and the hours were long and sometimes tedious.

On the day she started she'd met Cecil, who was a whirlwind of energy and charm and enthusiasm, but once things had settled down he'd sat down with her and taken both her hands in his, and looked right into her eyes, and told her very gently that she needed to make sure she told her family goodbye properly every day because she might not have a chance otherwise. He told her, in his deep, rich radio voice, about each one of the interns who had fallen before her. There had been so many. Chad disappeared while out on assignment to the sporting goods store. Jerry was probably devoured or assimilated into Station Management. Leland was vaporized for speaking about the Shape in Grove Park. Stacy had survived for a few months, and Cecil had really had high hopes for her, but then she just didn't show up to work one day, and hadn't been spoken of since. Her family had disappeared as well.

As he chronicled each intern, the radio host's voice was soft and steady. His face was calm. But behind his eyes was a vast, yawning void that threatened to consume all it touched.

"So just… be careful, Dana," he concluded, eyes going distant. "And no one will think less of you if you decide that… radio is not for you. There are so many… safer careers an intelligent young woman like you can pursue."

She was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "I appreciate your advice, sir."

His eyes were sad. "But you won't follow it."

"…No, sir. I'm sorry."

He sighed. "Well, very few do. In any case, good luck. If you need anything, I'm glad to help. It's nice to have you as part of the team, Dana." But there was a pain in his face that suggested that it wasn't.

There were days when all Dana did was fetch coffee and clean up and organize the archives. That made up a lot of her first couple of weeks. She strove to be hard-working, quick, and efficient. Whenever Cecil wasn't busy, she would ask him about interview techniques, or the finicky soundboard, or recent news around town.

Soon enough Cecil started giving her more responsibilities. He would come up behind her while she was working, give a soft, approving little 'Hm!' and leave her to her business. He sent her out to gather information sometimes. Sometimes she did it without being asked.

One day she was checking her Facebook in the break room – to see if anyone had recently run afoul of the City Council, of course – when she spotted a video that Old Woman Josie had posted of a cat turning around and falling off a television set, doing a perfect flip in the air, and then walking away as if nothing had happened. She tried to muffle a laugh, but Cecil stuck his head in.

"What is it?"

"Oh, ah… nothing. Nothing, I was just… just seeing if anything was odd on Facebook, and… well, I saw this video Old Woman Josie posted of a cat…"

"Can I see? I admit I wasn't much of a cat person before, but Khoshekh really changed my mind!" Dana had seen Khoshekh a few times, but the floating cat had never shown any interest in her, and also was in the men's bathroom, which she wasn't exactly comfortable visiting for social calls.

"Oh, it's, uh… I really didn't mean… I promise I'm not doing personal things on work time."

Cecil had lightly taken her phone and hit 'play.' He watched, his smile growing, then let out a hoot of laughter when the cat fell. Cecil laughed with his whole body, and after a few seconds, flopped down on the worn old sofa next to Dana.

"Oh, did you see – this is SO CUTE! Look at the way he acts like nothing happened! I LOVE when cats do that! He's so embarrassed, and doesn't want anyone to know! This is AMAZING! Would you post that on my wall, Dana?"

"Um… Well we're not friends, so I don't think I can…"

"Oh, we can fix that! Search 'Cecil Baldwin.' There. Let's see… I don't know who all these OTHER Cecil Baldwins think they are, but apparently I'm the sixth one today. Here."

"You don't mind, sir?"

He beamed. "You've been here for a while now, Dana. I'm very hopeful for you. And it's just Cecil, please. That would be fine."

"Well… thank you, Cecil! I'll… I'll get that on your wall right now!"

Cecil pulled out his own phone, accepted her friend request, then waited for a second. He jumped up and did an odd little dance when the video appeared, and he _giggled_.

"Thank you, Dana! I'll let you get back to your break now!" he said cheerfully.

"Oh, I wasn't…"

"Then you should be!" He turned and smiled at her, and it was warm. "I'm glad you're part of our little radio family here at the station." His eyes held less pain than they had that first day. "You do good work here."

"Thank you s – Thank you, Cecil!"

They ate together, they drank coffee, they discussed the city's issues – sometimes in hushed whispers. He asked her opinion on a number of different topics, many of them directly related to Carlos the scientist. She laughed at how high his voice would get when he talked about Carlos, or how he could collapse in dreamy sighs at just the sound of that name. She was a little jealous – not that she wished Cecil WEREN'T in love with the other man, but his level of affection and devotion was just breathtaking.

For a while after the sand storm incident, he had kept his distance, eyed her warily, made sure not to let her get between him and an exit. And she didn't blame him, because her double who had come out of the swirling vortex had been vicious and sadistic, and had brought out the same traits in her. She didn't like the end of their easy friendship, but all she could do was try to win back his trust.

And then Station Management had shot out a note demanding that she investigate the Dog Park. She had shown Cecil silently.

"Dana," he'd said, his voice soft and serious as it had been when he had first spoken to her, "You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do. I wanted this. I wanted to work for the radio, to be… part of Night Vale Community Radio. I know you would do it in my position." She smiled a little. "And I may not be able to return, but I'll try my best. I have to do what Station Management asks me to."

The pain was back in Cecil's eyes, full-force. "I'd rather you didn't," he barely whispered.

"I know."

He took her hand, and she clasped his bigger hand with both of hers.

"I will try to come back. And I'll have my phone on. I'll keep in contact as best I can."

Cecil swallowed. "I'll… make the coffee tomorrow. I'll make two cups." His usually smooth voice had gone a little raspy.

Dana's smile grew a little, and she patted his hand. "Not if I get there first. Besides, you don't know how to put the filter in right. It'll just be full of grounds."

He snorted and smiled back at her a bit. "I'll practice."

"Thank you for everything, Cecil. I've learned a lot here."

"I'll be waiting for you to come back, Dana."

"And I WILL be back," she swore, not caring that such promises were rarely able to be kept in Night Vale.

"Wait." Cecil scrambled off to the men's room, and she heard some banging and shuffling before he emerged again carrying a paper bag. "…I want you to take this," he said breathlessly.

"What is it…?" She slowly opened the bag. Inside there was a package of crackers. Enriched wheat-flour crackers. She gasped. "Cecil, where did…"

"Shh, shhhh! Just take them," the host whispered. "If you're caught, you can say they're mine, I can handle the consequences. But I think… they might be useful where you're going."

She stared at him, open-mouthed.

"Please. Just take them. It's… it's all I can do." His voice cracked a little.

Dana slipped the bag of crackers into her bag. Then she only hesitated for a second before stepping forward to hug him. He returned the gesture, squeezing her tightly for a second.

"Stay safe, Dana," he murmured to her.

"You too, Cecil. You too."


End file.
